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ROME: A senior official at the UN\u2019s agriculture agency said Wednesday he had lost his job for criticising Israeli policies in Gaza, as the body\u2019s head condemned staff who \u201cplay the game of human rights\u201d.<\/p>\n
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) director Ben Davis told AFP he had been informed in July that his contract would not be renewed after 26 years because he had allegedly breached impartiality rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey accused me of organising these moments of silence on the situation of starvation and famine in Gaza,\u201d he said, referring to weekly silent protests by some employees at the Rome-based organization.<\/p>\n
Davis was also criticised for a report he worked on about food availability in Gaza and humanitarian law, published in May.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were told to take it down,\u201d he said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t allowed to make any references to humanitarian law.\u201d<\/p>\n
FAO director-general Qu Dongyu appeared to warn FAO staff Tuesday that \u201cwe don\u2019t allow you to play the game here of human rights\u201d.<\/p>\n
He was speaking in public comments made at the start of a filmed session on forestry.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, human rights is very important but we have the human rights agency in Geneva,\u201d he added. \u201cIf you want to take care, go there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why some senior members play the political game here, I fire him… You should follow the FAO constitution… You are against staff regulations… But I\u2019m a very soft person, I didn\u2019t fire that many,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will fire more people if they are against the law,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
FAO did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
Asked if he thought the director general\u2019s comments were about him, Davis said \u201cabsolutely\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has already scolded me in public in the past for being too political.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis also said he was \u201cconcerned\u201d about the director general\u2019s comments on firing more people.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people attended the moments of silence at their height and there are now only 30-40 people coming on a weekly basis, he said.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s bombardment of Gaza has killed over 74,000 people since October 2023, according to Gaza\u2019s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the United Nations deems reliable.<\/p>\n
The pounding of the territory followed an attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, that resulted in the death of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n